Monday, September 12, 2016

Nate Parker Still On Hot Seat At 'The Birth Of A Nation' Press Conference Held During TIFF

Nate Parker

By Darlene Donloe

TORONTO
– Sept. 11, 2016 - Nate Parker is not ready to apologize. At least he wasn’t
ready to at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) where he and his
cast participated in a press conference for the film, Birth Of A Nation.

Confronted
with the question of whether he would apologize for a claimed sexual assault of
which he was acquitted in 2001, Parker said, “This is a forum for the film. It
is not mine, it does not belong to me.”

This
is a peculiar time for Parker who, earlier this year was considered Hollywood’s
newest golden boy when Birth Of A Nation gained
notoriety for having wowed audiences at the Sundance Film Festival and nabbing
a $17.5 million deal with Fox Searchlight.

Parker
was applauded and lauded for having taken a chance on an unpopular film genre,
by using his own money and raising even more money to produce a film about a
little known American hero named Nat Turner.

Fast
forward and Parker, who has been vilified in the press and in the court of
pubic opinion after the incidence resurfaced, finds he’s having to, once again,
defend himself against the 17 year old charges.

If
that were not enough, the movie, which has been highly-anticipated for months,
is suffering the slings and arrows of it leader’s controversial past.Some moviegoers have vowed not to support the
film because they don’t want to appear to support an “alleged” rapist – even
though Parker was acquitted of all of the charges.

It
was recently learned that his accuser committed suicide in 2012.Parker didn’t release a statement about the
incident – leaving many to shake their heads.

To
the press and to the public, due to the way Parker talked about the 1999 rape
allegation, he didn’t seem contrite. In fact, some have even accused him of
being arrogant.

Parker
has not run from the story. In fact, he talked about the incident openly to
Variety and Deadline and then again at the recent Merge Summit in Los Angeles.

At
the film’s Toronto International Film Festival premiere, Birth Of A Nation received a standing ovation. The gesture,
according to Colman Domingo who stars in the film, moved several members of the
cast, who were waiting backstage.

Colman Domingo

“I
was hugging Nate, said Domingo, who plays a slave named Hark. “We were all
hugging each other. It was very emotional.”

At
the press conference, held at the Fairmont Hotel, Parker didn’t answer any
questions about the incident directly. Instead he sidestepped many questions,
instead deciding to focus on the film.

He
talked about how the film was a joint effort and how everyone from the craft
services to grips and gaffers worked on the film with little pay.

“Everyone
felt that they were involved,” said Parker.

Parker’s
cast had his back – even asking the 100 or more journalists in the room to join
the movement in support of the film.

“We
own the film, it’s our film,” said Domingo.

“This
isn’t the Nate Parker story,” said Penelope Ann Miller, who played Elizabeth
Turner, a slave-owner in the movie. “ This is the Nat Turner story.”

As
she has been in the past, Gabrielle Union, who was raped at gunpoint at age 19
while working at Payless Shoes, was very vocal in her support of the film and
even joked about how some people think she threw Parker “under the bus” with her
previous op-ed piece.

Scene from 'The Birth Of A Nation'

In
her op-ed piece she talked about concerns about the case. She never accused
Parker and, in not doing so, many thought she was sympathetic to his drama.

“Five
percent feels I threw Nate under the bus, and five percent feels I’m a rape
apologist,” said Union.“I invite those
two five percents to talk to each other.”

But
Union was also quick to talk about the importance of the film.

“We’re
not creating a movie, we’re creating a movement,” said Union. “I’ve been a part
of important projects. I’ve always said when they do the Nat Turner story, I
don’t care if I’m doing craft services or if I’m the grip. I just want to be a
part of telling the story. When The Birth
Of A Nation came across it sat on my desk for a couple of weeks. I saw the
title and thought, ‘What crackpot thought this was a good idea?’Then I learned it’s the Nat Turner story.”

Although
Union is only in two brief scenes in the movie, her role is pivotal in Turner’s
decision to start a revolution.

“It
was the best 12 minutes of my life,” quipped Union, who plays a slave named
Esther. “Don’t tell my husband.”

Union’s character doesn’t speak in the film. She and Parker thought it was more
powerful for her not to do so.

“She
was written with lines,” explained Union.“It was more powerful for her not to have lines. Not to speak. It was
more important to put a face to violence that has used us throughout history.
It was more important to be a symbol or a face that people could recognize. It
was important to put a face to violence. Throughout our history this has been
used as a weapon of mass destruction to destroy the human psyche and the soul
and the body.”

Before
the controversial allegations surfaced, Parker was slated to do a college tour
this fall. A reporter asked if it was still going forward and whether Parker
would address the rise in assaults on college campuses.